- Date
- May 11, 2018, 09:10 local (13:10 UTC)
- Place
- Merritt Island, FL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N610FTPiper PA28
- Defining event
- Landing: Abnormal runway contact
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 24, 2018
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20180511005229A
- Case key
- 97305
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The student pilot’s improper landing flare in tailwind conditions, which resulted in a hard landing.
Findings · 4
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The student pilot reported that, during a solo flight, while landing, she encountered a wind gust that "tilted" the airplane right. She attempted to maintain centerline, but the left main landing gear touched down hard. She then taxied to park without further incident. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left-wing spar. The student pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The automated weather observation system located about 8 miles southeast of the accident airport reported that, about the time of the accident, the wind was from 290° at 3 knots. The student pilot landed the airplane on runway 11.
Factual narrative
The student pilot reported that, during a solo flight, while landing, she encountered a gust of wind that "tilted" the airplane to the right. She attempted to maintain centerline, but the left main landing gear touched down hard. She then taxied to park without further incident. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing spar. The student pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The automated weather observation system located about 8 miles to the southeast of the accident airport reported that, about the time of the accident, the wind was from 290° at 3 knots. The student pilot landed on runway 11.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N610FT
- Reported as
- Piper PA28 (161)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2841221
- Built
- 1989
- Airframe hours
- 16,403
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D3G, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- 2fly Airborne
- Registered owner
- American Air Academy
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 14, 2018
- Departed
- COI · Merritt Island, FL
- Destination
- COI · Merritt Island, FL
- Airport
- COI · Merritt Island, runway 11, 3,601 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Stall warning system
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 21
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 32 total · 32 in this make and model · 3 as pilot in command · 32 in the last 90 days · 28 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 290° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.12 inHg
- Observed at
- KCOF, 8 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 6, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.7 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.